Chapter 5 The Fire

Zachary never came home that night.

Sophia couldn't sleep either, sitting upright in bed all night long.

Her heart felt like someone had stabbed it with a knife, the pain twisting through her chest.

Having gotten no rest, Sophia came downstairs for breakfast with dark circles under her eyes. Dylan immediately noticed and couldn't help but express concern.

"Sophia, you need to eat more meat and take better care of yourself. Zachary said he had urgent business to handle last night and left you alone at home. When he gets back, I'm definitely going to have words with him."

Sophia could tell Dylan was making excuses for Zachary.

A faint smile touched her lips as she tried to reassure Dylan.

"Work comes first. Don't blame him for that."

After breakfast, terrified of revealing more than she should in front of Dylan, Sophia hurriedly said her goodbyes and returned to the villa she shared with Zachary.

Her packed suitcase still sat by the entrance, exactly as they'd left it yesterday.

Apparently, Zachary hadn't come home either.

Sophia didn't need to think twice; her instincts told her Zachary had spent the night with Paula.

Another bitter smile crossed her lips. Taking one last look at the home she'd lived in for years, Sophia grabbed her suitcase and resolved to leave Zachary for good.

As she opened the front door, she came face to face with James Smith, who was just about to ring the doorbell.

James was Zachary's assistant. Since they'd met before and recognized each other, both recovered from their surprise and composed their expressions.

James nodded politely at Sophia, wearing his practiced professional smile.

"Mrs. Spencer, there's a corporate gala tonight that requires both you and Mr. Spencer to attend. Mr. Spencer sent me to take you for styling."

Sophia was slightly stunned. Usually, for these events, Zachary preferred to bring Paula.

Why would it be her turn today?

James's gaze dropped to the suitcase Sophia was pulling.

"Mrs. Spencer, if you have travel plans, I can contact the airline to postpone your departure temporarily."

Sophia shook her head gently. "I'm not available today. Please go invite Paula instead."

Since the divorce needed to remain secret for now, Sophia could only make excuses.

But unexpectedly, James was as insistent as Zachary.

"Mr. Spencer mentioned that Mr. Dylan Spencer might also attend this event, so his companion can only be you."

Sophia felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.

Since Zachary was bringing Dylan into it, what could she possibly say?

After a brief hesitation, Sophia had no choice but to set down her suitcase and accompany James to the styling studio.

This was a studio Sophia had seen online—they typically only styled socialites and A-list celebrities.

Paula's giant poster hung prominently outside their entrance.

In the photo, Paula smiled with dazzling brilliance, making Sophia's eyes sting slightly.

By the time styling was complete, it was already afternoon. Sophia stared at her reflection in the mirror, momentarily dazed.

The gentle purple mermaid gown pooled elegantly on the floor. The stylist had only added soft curls to Sophia's hair, leaving it to cascade like seaweed over her delicate shoulders.

The outfit perfectly accentuated Sophia's gentle, refined aura.

Looking in the mirror, Sophia inexplicably thought of Paula.

Paula was like a thorny rose, beautiful and striking, completely different from her own style.

Sophia quickly snapped back to reality, dismissing such pointless thoughts.

Once she got through tonight, she could finally leave Zachary and escape these painful memories.

James escorted Sophia to the corporate gala venue. Without an invitation, he could only accompany her to the entrance before taking his leave.

Everything from here on, Sophia would have to face alone.

Standing before the grand ballroom doors, Sophia took a deep breath, trying to steel herself.

Two attendants worked together to open the ballroom doors, and brilliant light spilled out, bathing Sophia completely.

She squinted slightly, adjusting to the brightness, then looked into the ballroom.

Those near the entrance heard someone entering and turned to look.

The moment they saw Sophia, they were all struck speechless.

"Whose daughter is that? I've never seen her before."

"Did you see that gown she's wearing? That's a custom haute couture piece by a top designer—worth hundreds of thousands of dollars!"

"That necklace around her neck isn't cheap either, probably another hundred thousand!"

The things others praised were expenses that Zachary wouldn't even blink at.

Ignoring the jealous glances from others, Sophia held her head high and walked into the ballroom with purposeful strides.

Having grown up in the Spencer family, she'd attended plenty of formal events even before marrying Zachary.

Despite being away from such occasions for a while, Sophia remained poised and graceful.

Finding Zachary in the crowd wasn't difficult.

His tall, commanding presence naturally drew attention wherever he stood.

Sophia quickly spotted Zachary surrounded by several people.

He was listening to someone speak, casually swirling a champagne flute between his fingers.

To match her styling, Sophia wore light purple heels, and the tight mermaid gown restricted her leg movement, forcing her to take small, careful steps.

Having spotted Zachary, Sophia tried her best to walk quickly toward him.

She was late—she wondered if Dylan had arrived and noticed the tension between her and Zachary.

Lost in anxious thoughts, a figure in a dark red gown suddenly appeared in Sophia's field of vision, striking as a blooming rose.

Paula fluttered to Zachary's side like a happy bird, leaning close to his ear and saying something with a smile.

From Sophia's angle, she could clearly see Zachary's lips curve into a faint smile.

What a perfect match—handsome man and beautiful woman, made for each other.

Sophia stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly caught in an impossible situation.

The people around them showed no surprise at their intimate behavior.

Was Paula his date tonight?

Then why had Zachary asked her to come?

Thinking of how she'd even gone through elaborate styling, Sophia felt utterly humiliated.

Her mood soured like biting into a tart green apple. Sophia let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense—Zachary suddenly looked back in her direction.

Their eyes met, and Zachary's smile immediately vanished.

Sophia's gaze flickered, but she pretended not to have seen Zachary and turned to leave.

In public, Sophia didn't want to cause a scene with Zachary.

"Sophia, what are you doing here?" Paula's clear voice suddenly rang out behind her.

It shattered the peaceful facade Sophia had been desperately trying to maintain.

She tried her best to preserve her dignity, slowly turning around, but before she could even manage a smile, the crowd around them erupted in chaos.

"The kitchen's on fire! Fire in the kitchen!"

The moment those words rang out, everyone around identified the emergency exits and rushed toward them.

Caught off guard in the crowd, Sophia was knocked to the ground and struggled repeatedly to get back up.

In the chaos, Sophia fought to stand and keep breathing.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Zachary holding Paula protectively in his arms.

A stark contrast to her own disheveled state.